Image forming apparatus

Abstract

There is disclosed an image forming apparatus in which an image is formed by recording image data of each line by a-predetermined number of times in succession. In case of forming an image which is reduced in size in the sub scanning direction, the number of recordings of image data of each line is reduced from the above-mentioned predetermined number, so that the reduced image can be obtained with minimum deterioration in image quality, and without conventional skipping of the original image data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus comprising: input means for inputting image data of a first density;   image forming means for forming an image by recording same data, from said input means, by a predetermined number of times in succession; and   control means for controlling the number of recordings of the same data by said image forming means,   wherein said control means consists of first control means for causing said image forming means to record the same data m times and second control means for causing said image forming means to record the same data n times, and   said image forming means forms, in case of performing a one-page recording, a reduced image using said first and second control means.   
     
     
       2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input means is adapted to receive and enter image data transmitted from another communication apparatus through a communication channel. 
     
     
       3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means is adapted to record same data by a predetermined number of times in succession, so as to record the data of the first density from said input means, with a second density higher than said first density. 
     
     
       4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first and second densities are densities in the sub scanning direction, and said image forming means is adapted to record the data of a line with the first density, by a predetermined number of times in succession, thereby forming an image with the second density. 
     
     
       5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is adapted to vary the number of recordings of same data, according to the density of image data entered by said input means. 
     
     
       6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means is adapted, in case the input image data has a density of 3.85 line/mm and said image forming means has a recording density of 15.4 line/mm, to cause same data to be recorded four times. 
     
     
       7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means is adapted, in case the input image data has a density of 7.7 line/mm and said image forming means has a recording density of 15.4 line/mm, to cause same data to be recorded twice. 
     
     
       8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting reduced recording of image. 
     
     
       9. A method of forming an image consisting of the steps of: an input step of inputting image data of a first density;   an image forming step of forming an image by recording same data, from the input step, by a predetermined number of times in succession; and   a control step of controlling the number of recordings of the same data by the image forming step,   wherein the control step consists of a first control step for causing the image forming step to record the same data m times and a second control step for causing the image forming step to record the same data n times, and   the image forming step forms, in case of performing a one-page recording, a reduced image using the first and second control steps.   
     
     
       10. A method of forming an image according to claim 9, wherein the input step is adapted to receive and enter image data transmitted from another communication apparatus through a communication channel. 
     
     
       11. A method of forming an image according to claim 9, wherein the image forming step is adapted to record same data by a predetermined number of times in succession, so as to record the data of the first density from the input step, with a second density higher than the first density. 
     
     
       12. A method of forming an image according to claim 11, wherein the first and second densities are densities in the sub scanning direction, and the image forming step is adapted to record the data of a line with the first density, by a predetermined number of times in succession, thereby forming an image with the second density. 
     
     
       13. A method of forming an image according to claim 9, wherein the control step is adapted to vary the number of recordings of same data, according to the density of image data entered by the input step. 
     
     
       14. A method of forming an image according to claim 13, wherein the control step is adapted, in case the input image data has a density of 3.85 line/mm and the image forming step has a recording density of 15.4 line/mm, to cause same data to be recorded four times. 
     
     
       15. A method of forming an image according to claim 13, wherein the control step is adapted, in case the input image data has a density of 7.7 line/mm and the image forming step has a recording density of 16.4 line/mm, to cause same data to be recorded twice. 
     
     
       16. A method of forming an image according to claim 9, further comprising a selection step for selecting reduced recording of image.